Flavone acetic acid: a novel agent with preclinical antitumor activity against colon adenocarcinoma 38 in mice

Flavone acetic acid, given on Days 2 and 9 at a dose of 267 mg/kg, inhibited tumor growth completely in 60%-80% of mice with early-stage Colon Adenocarcinoma 38. The therapeutic efficacy of the flavone against this tumor was retained when the sites of tumor implantation and drug administration were separated. Flavone acetic acid also caused regression of advanced (500-mg) Colon 38 tumors, with greatest efficacy observed following administration of high individual dose rather than high total dose. Unlike many previous potential anticancer agents, only modest activity was observed for this compound against either P388 or L1210 leukemia.     

Confirmation of hepatitis C infection: a comparison of five immunoblot assays

BACKGROUND: Recently, new immunoblot assays for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) became available. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The performance of five confirmatory anti-HCV immunoblot assays was studied with samples with known HCV antibody and HCV RNA status. The assays were a third-generation strip recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA-3, Chiron Corp., Emeryville, CA), a second-generation HCV blot (DB-2 blot, Diagnostic Biotechnology, Singapore), the Wellcozyme HCV Western blot (Murex blot, Murex Diagnostics, Dartford, UK), an immunodot HCV assay (Matrix, Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL), and the third-generation HCV line immunoassay (Liatek-III, Organon Teknika, Boxtel, The Netherlands). RESULTS: Sensitivity on samples from 48 HCV RNA-positive, second-generation RIBA (RIBA-2)-positive persons and specificity on samples from 31 low-risk donors was 96 percent or better for all assays. The sensitivity on 31 HCV RNA-positive, RIBA-2- indeterminate samples was as follows: Liatek-III, 94 percent; RIBA-3, 90 percent; Murex blot, 61 percent; Matrix, 55 percent; and DB-2 blot, 39 percent. In testing 39 HCV RNA-negative, RIBA-2-indeterminate donor samples, the percentage found to be negative was Liatek-III, 77 percent; RIBA-3, 67 percent; Murex blot, 49 percent; DB-2 blot, 33 percent; and Matrix, 15 percent. The order of sensitivity on four HCV seroconversion series was (from high to low): RIBA-3, Liatek-III, DB-2 blot, Murex blot, and Matrix; the differences were small. CONCLUSION: Detection of HCV antibodies was not refined by the addition of new HCV antigens (NS5, E2/NS1), but by improved classical antigens (core, NS3, NS4). Replacement of the commonly used RIBA-2 will resolve the status of a high proportion of RIBA-2-indeterminate samples.     

Sensitivity and specificity of four assays to detect human T− lymphotropic virus type I or type I/II antibodies

BACKGROUND: Assays that detect human T-lymphotropic virus type I and type II antibody (HTLV-I/II) are widely used in the routine screening of blood donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Four commercially available anti-HTLV-I (Fujirebio and Organon Teknika) or -HTLV-I/II assays (Murex and Ortho) were evaluated in various serum panels: A) HTLV-I-positive specimens (n = 41), confirmed by Western blot and polymerase chain reaction; B) a commercially available anti-HTLV-I/II panel; C) serial dilutions of sera from HTLV-I-positive individuals (n = 30), confirmed by immunofluorescence assay and Western blot: D) serial dilutions of HTLV-II-positive blood donors (n = 20), confirmed by Western blot and polymerase chain reaction, and E) sera from first-time blood donors (n = 1055). RESULTS: All four assays elicited reactions in all 82 HTLV-I- positive samples in Panels A, B, and C. Of 32 HTLV-II-positive specimens in Panels B and D, 31 (96.9%) reacted in the Organon Teknika assay and all 32 reacted in the remaining tests. Probit analysis of test results in Panels C and D indicated that the Fujirebio test was the most sensitive assay, followed by Organon Teknika, Ortho, and Murex. The specificities of Fujirebio, Murex, Organon Teknika, and Ortho tests in 1055 first-time blood donors were 99.9, 100, 99.6, and 99.9 percent, respectively. CONCLUSION: All four studied assays for detecting HTLV-I or HTLV-I/II antibodies are appropriate as screening tests.     

Impact of expiratory strength training in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Introduction: We evaluated the feasibility and impact of expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) on respiratory and bulbar function in persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: Twenty‐five ALS patients participated in this delayed intervention open‐label clinical trial. Following a lead‐in period, patients completed a 5‐week EMST protocol. Outcome measures included: maximum expiratory pressure (MEP); physiologic measures of swallow and cough; and penetration–aspiration scale (PAS) scores. Results: Of participants who entered the active phase of the study (n = 15), EMST was well tolerated and led to significant increases in MEPs and maximum hyoid displacement during swallowing post‐EMST (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for PAS scores or cough spirometry measures. Conclusions: EMST was feasible and well tolerated in this small cohort of ALS patients and led to improvements in expiratory force‐generating pressures and swallow kinematics. Further investigation is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings. Muscle Nerve 54 : 48–53, 2016     

Transgenic expression of the human amphiregulin gene induces a psoriasis-like phenotype.

Amphiregulin (AR) is a heparin-binding, heparin-inhibited member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family and an autocrine growth factor for human keratinocytes. Previous studies have shown that AR expression is increased in psoriatic epidermis. To test the hypothesis that aberrant AR expression is central to the development of psoriatic lesions, we constructed a transgene (K14-ARGE) encoding a human keratin 14 promoter-driven AR gene. Our results indicate that transgene integration and subsequent expression of AR in basal keratinocytes correlated with a psoriasis-like skin phenotype. Afflicted mice demonstrated shortened life spans, prominent scaling and erythematous skin with alopecia, and occasional papillomatous epidermal growths. Histologic examination revealed extensive areas of marked hyperkeratosis with focal parakeratosis, acanthosis, dermal and epidermal lymphocytic and neutrophilic infiltration, and dilated blood vessels within the papillary dermis. Our results reveal that AR exerts activity in the skin that is distinct from that of transgenic transforming growth factor-alpha or other cytokines, and induces skin pathology with striking similarities to psoriasis. Our observations also link the keratinocyte EGF receptor-ligand system to psoriatic inflammation, and suggest that aberrant expression of AR in the epidermis may represent a critical step in the development or propagation of psoriatic lesions.     

The treatment of sarcoidosis by levamisole

Five patients with persistent or progressive pulmonary shadowing due to sarcoidosis were treated with 150 mg levamisole daily and one patient with 150 mg twice weekly. Only the latter patient completed a 12-week course without unwanted side-effects. One of the remaining five patients on full dose completed the course but all experienced symptoms (nausea, malaise, influenza-like syndrome or arthralgia and skin rash) severe enough to cause five to stop the drug. Haematology and biochemistry, however, remained normal, with the exception of transient rise in transaminases in one patient. Radiology, pulmonary function and numbers of circulating T-lymphocytes (E-rosettes) were unchanged, but three patients developed increased intensity of delayed hypersensitivity (DH) skin tests using PPD, Candida and Trichophyton antigens; two of these patients also developed increased in vitro lymphocyte stimulation by mitogen and PPD antigen and the other developed a 'serum sickness' syndrome with evidence of circulating immune complexes.     

Platelet turnover and kinetics in immune thrombocytopenic purpura: results with autologous 111In-labeled platelets and homologous 51Cr- labeled platelets differ

Mean platelet survival and turnover were simultaneously determined with autologous 111In-labeled platelets (111In-AP) and homologous 51Cr- labeled platelets (51Cr-HP) in ten patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In vivo redistribution of the 111In-AP was quantitated with a scintillation camera and computer-assisted image analysis. The patients were divided into two groups: those with splenic platelet sequestration (spleen-liver 111In activity ratio greater than 1.4), and those with diffuse sequestration in the reticuloendothelial system. The latter patients had more severe ITP reflected by pronounced thrombocytopenia, decreased platelet turnover, and prominent early hepatic platelet sequestration. Mean platelet life span estimated with 51Cr-HP was consistently shorter than that of 111In-AP. Platelet turnover determined with 51Cr-HP was thus over-estimated. The difference in results with the two isotope labels was apparently due to greater in vivo elution of 51Cr. Although the limitations of the techniques should be taken into account, these findings indicate that platelet turnover is not always normal or increased in ITP, but is low in severe disease. We suggest that this may be ascribed to damage to megakaryocytes by antiplatelet antibody. The physical characteristics in 111In clearly make this radionuclide superior to 51Cr for the study of platelet kinetics in ITP.